If Only You Knew

16 - Connecting With the Past

April 29th, 2015 - Whitehall Manor, Northern Europe

Scarlette stands across from me in a huge green ballgown, almost identical to the purple one I'm wearing as we stare at each other. My dark curls are loose as they fly around me in the invisible breeze, but Scarlette's hair is pinned back and doesn't move and inch. All I can see around us is white, a huge expanse of it, nothing in any direction. 

I meet my sister's turquoise eyes across the space separating us and both of us break into a smile. I want to run to her but neither us seem to be able to move from where we stand. I can't break her stare as I try to form a sentence, but I can't.

"Alice, I'm here to help you," she breaks the silent, her voice as kind and perfect as ever. 

"How, Scarlette? What do I do?" My voice shakes a little, but I don't know if she notices or not.

"You win, Alice, you win for all of us,"  her smile is tiny, but filled with more hope than I can handle.

"How, Scarlette? I don't have enough power to win," I give a small shake of my head, my hair bouncing as I look down a little.

I feel her fingers on my chin, forcing we to meet her eyes. "You'll get the power from us, Alice, don't you understand?" She tilts her head and I shake mine. "You have a family of some of the most powerful spellcasters to live sending you their power from beyond the grave, I'll think you manage."

She takes a step back with a smile and her image starts to fade. "Scarlette, wait- don't go." I reach a hand out to her as she disappears.

I sit upward in my bed, shaking in a cold sweat as Matt mumbles from next to me. My shirt is stuck to me as I climb out of bed and stand on the balcony, gulping down the cold night hair. I can't seem to stop shaking as I lean on the railing, my pyjama shorts leaving my legs bare against the breeze.

After a few minutes, I do all I can think of, I quietly walk through my room and pad down the hall to Cassia's room, where I lightly knock on the door. I wait a moment before it cracks open and I find Cass in a blue silk robe, which hardly reaches her knees, a troubled expression on her face as she steps out the door.

"Alice, you do realise it's 3am, right?" She raises an eyebrow at me and I give an apologetic smile. "What's wrong?"

"Cass, I had a dream, about my sister. And she's giving us all her power, as well as my whole family's. And I have a plan, I know how we can win." I give a strong smile and Cass' eyes light up as I explain everything to her.

We make a silent agreement to leave Matt and Andrew out of it, deciding they'd try and change it for fear of us getting hurt. With a quiet nod, we both head back to our rooms and I only enter mine once I see Cass back in her's. I quietly close the door behind me and turn around to find Matt lying on his side, apparently asleep.

"Where did you go?" His eyes stay closed as I walk over, but freeze when he speaks.

"I went to grab some water," I give a small smile and climb under the sheet next to him as wraps his arm around my waist, holding me to him and his face nuzzling into my neck.

"At least you're back now," his voice is muffled against my skin and I give a small smile, not falling asleep until long after he does.

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I don't wake until 10am, finding myself in my empty bedroom. I look at the clock on my dresser and eventually sit up, rubbing my eyes. I quickly climb out of bed and change into a loose, long, purple dress that tucked in at the waist and tie my hair back in a low bun. I head to the kitchen, a frown on my face.

I walk in to find Marie, Matt and Andrew and Matt's cheery smile puts a scowl on my face.

"Morning poppet," Marie smiles warmly and I put some effort into returning it. 

"Morning Marie, anything left from breakfast by any chance?" I give a small smile and raise an eyebrow.

"Yes, dear, I saved some for you and Cassia," she gives a bright smile and points to the other side of the bench, where two plates sit with omelettes on them.

"Thank you Marie," I smile as I go to claim my plate and then sit on the bench next to Matt in the middle of the room. "What are you two doing down here? And where's Cass?"

"Good morning to you too Alice," Matt's sarcasm is hardly hidden but he quickly shuts up as I nudge him with my foot and shoot a glare in his direction. "We figured you'd come here first when you finally got up."

"And Cass was still fast asleep when I left the room two hours ago," Andrew chimed in as Marie left, sending a small smile in the direction of her son.

"Oh," I shrug as I dig into my omelette and Cass suddenly appears, as if summoned by her name, a scowl on her face. "Hey."

"Hey Alice," she gives me a tiny smile, wearing a similar dress to mine and grabs the other omelette.

"What's wrong with you pair this morning? You look like you're ready to kill someone," Matt gives a small smile.

"Well I might in a second," Cass says, no joking tone in her voice.

"It might have something to do with Alice knocking on our door at 3am?" Andrew raises an eyebrow, looking between us as we both freeze with food halfway to our mouths.

"What?" Matt looks between the two of us as we set our plates and forks down. "Why did you go and see Cass at 3am?"

"Because I had a question, about a dream I had," I looked at him, but disbelief clouds his features. "I'm serious, it's nothing."

"Yeah, Matt, don't worry," Cass gives him a small smile from across the room, but won't meet his eye.

"Alright," Matt moves closer and puts a light hand on my waist, but I barely notice, I can't break eye contact with Cassia. I don't know how long I hold here stare, but then Andrew clears his throat and we snap out of it.

We both quickly finish our food and then walk out, the boys following us without a word. Cass and I walk ahead of them, talking quietly between us.

"We can't let them know," her voice is quiet, magic muffling our words from Matt and Andrew.

"I know, they'll just panic, we have to act normal," I give a small nod, sneaking a look over my shoulder to find the boys talking amongst themselves.

"Agreed," she nods and stops walking and I feel the magically barrier drop as her voices projects through the hall. "Alright, let's practice."

The boys stop, a little startled and I can't help but give a small laugh before we all walk outside.